Metal-Era Inc. participated in a local manufacturing initiative called “Schools2Skills” on Tuesday, November 19. The program is designed to peak high school students’ interest in the manufacturing field as a possible career option.
Schools2Skills gives Waukesha County students, parents, and teachers a chance to tour local manufacturers to see possibilities for future careers. Since the program began, there has been an improved perception of the manufacturing industry among the current generation of high school students.
Tony Mallinger, President at Metal-Era, and Scott Kittilstad, VP of Engineering, presented Metal-Era’s manufacturing process to a group of high school students visiting from Waukesha North. The students toured Metal-Era’s 115,000-square-foot facility and saw firsthand how Metal-Era’s products are made.
“It was a great opportunity to improve these students’ view of manufacturing.” says Tony Mallinger, “We were able to provide a positive image of the industry; we are confident it sparked the interest of the students who participated.”
The Waukesha County Manufacturing Alliance, which serves as a platform for manufacturers to work together to change the image of manufacturing, helps plan and organize these trips for local high school students to visit manufacturing companies in Waukesha County.
The students also visited Husco International and Hydro-Thermal on their tour.